30 Years of Programming at 44 Years Old

A 44-year-old engineer reflects on 30 years of programming, from building a Metallica fan page in 1995 to working on CDNs, eBPF, and distributed systems. The post chronicles disillusionment with an industry that shifted from building useful things to chasing growth metrics, engagement manipulation, and surveillance capitalism. After multiple severe burnouts while raising an autistic son, the author resolves to spend the next 10–20 years building software for co-ops, nonprofits, and communities — tools that respect users rather than extract value from them.